Apparatus and Methods for Frame Control Design

1. A method of generating a packet including a frame comprising a medium access control header, the method comprising: generating the medium access control header including a frame control field for use in each of a control frame, a management frame, and a data frame, the frame control field having: a type field storing information indicating the frame is the control frame, the management frame, or the data frame, a protocol version field storing information indicating a protocol version of the frame, and a field having a length of three (3) bits and: when the type field indicates the frame is the data frame, the field storing information indicating three (3) least significant bits (LSBs) of a traffic identifier (TID), when the type field indicates the frame is the control frame, the field storing information indicating a subtype of the control frame, and when the type field indicates the frame is the management frame, the field storing information indicating a subtype of the management frame, a non-zero value in the protocol version field indicating that the medium access control header is a compressed medium access control header; and transmitting the packet.

2. The method of claim 1 , the frame control field further storing information indicating whether the packet is transmitted from a distribution system.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the information indicating whether the packet is transmitted from the distribution system is included in a from-distribution system sub-field.

4. The method of claim 1 , the frame control field further storing information indicating a power management state.

5. The method of claim 1 , the frame control field further storing information indicating whether an additional frame is to be transmitted.

6. The method of claim 1 , the frame control field further storing information indicating whether frame protection is present.

7. The method of claim 1 , the frame control field further storing information indicating if a destination address is present in the packet.

8. The method of claim 1 , the frame control field further storing information indicating an identification of a network service set.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the information indicating an identification of a network service set is included in a short service set identifier sub-field.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the identification of the network service set includes a hash of a short service set identifier.

11. The method of claim 1 , the frame control field further storing information indicating an end of a service period.

12. The method of claim 1 , the frame control field further storing retransmission information indicating whether the frame is being retransmitted.

13. The method of claim 1 , the frame control field further storing information indicating one of whether additional sub-frames are to be transmitted and whether a reverse direction is granted.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the information indicating one of whether additional sub-frames are to be transmitted and whether a reverse direction is granted is included in a sub-field.

15. The method of claim 1 , the frame control field further storing information indicating an aggregated service data unit.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the information indicating an aggregated service data unit is included in an aggregated medium access control level service data unit sub-field.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the traffic identifier indicates a traffic class of a data unit included in the packet.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the frame control field is generated to include a sub-field indicating whether enhanced distributed channel access (EDCA), hybrid coordinated controlled channel access (HCCA), or hybrid coordinator function (HCF) controlled channel access)-(HCCA) enhanced distributed channel access (EDCA) mixed mode (HEMM) is used.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the field indicates the management frame is one of an Action frame or an Action no Ack frame.

20. An apparatus configured to generate a packet including a frame comprising a medium access control header, the apparatus comprising: a processor configured to generate the medium access control header including a frame control field for use in each of a control frame, a management frame, and a data frame, the frame control field having: a type field storing information identifying the frame is the control frame, the management frame, or the data frame, a protocol version field storing information indicating a protocol version of the frame, and a field having a length of three (3) bits and: when the type field indicates the frame is the data frame, the field storing information indicating three (3) least significant bits (LSBs) of a traffic identifier (TID), when the type field indicates the frame is the control frame, the field storing information indicating a subtype of the control frame, and when the type field indicates the frame is the management frame, the field storing information a subtype of the management frame, a non-zero value in the protocol version field indicating that the medium access control header is a compressed medium access control header; and a transmitter configured to transmit the packet.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 , the frame control field further storing information indicating whether the packet is transmitted from a distribution system.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the information indicating whether the packet is transmitted from the distribution system is included in a from-distribution system sub-field.

23. The apparatus of claim 20 , the frame control field further storing information indicating a power management state.

24. The apparatus of claim 20 , the frame control field further storing information indicating whether an additional frame is to be transmitted.

25. The apparatus of claim 20 , the frame control field further storing information indicating whether frame protection is present.

26. The apparatus of claim 20 , the frame control field further storing information indicating if a destination address is present in the packet.

27. The apparatus of claim 20 , the frame control field further storing information indicating an identification of a network service set.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 , wherein the information indicating an identification of a network service set is included in a short service set identifier sub-field.

29. The apparatus of claim 27 , wherein the identification of the network service set includes a hash of a short service set identifier.

30. The apparatus of claim 20 , the frame control field further storing information indicating an end of a service period.

31. The apparatus of claim 20 , the frame control field further storing retransmission information indicating whether the frame is being retransmitted.

32. The apparatus of claim 20 , the frame control field further storing information indicating one of whether additional sub-frames are to be transmitted and whether a reverse direction is granted.

33. The apparatus of claim 32 , wherein the information indicating one of whether additional sub-frames are to be transmitted and whether a reverse direction is granted is included in a sub-field.

34. The apparatus of claim 20 , the frame control field further storing information indicating an aggregated service data unit.

35. The apparatus of claim 34 , wherein the information indicating an aggregated service data unit is included in an aggregated medium access control level service data unit sub-field.

36. An apparatus configured to generate a packet including a frame comprising a medium access control header, the apparatus comprising: means for generating the medium access control header including a frame control field for use in each of a control frame, a management frame, and a data frame, the frame control field having: a type field storing information indicating the frame is the control frame, the management frame, or the data frame, a protocol version field storing information indicating a protocol version, and a field having a length of three (3) bits and: when the type field indicates the frame is the data frame, the field storing information indicating three (3) least significant bits (LSBs) of a traffic identifier (TID), when the type field indicates the frame is the control frame, the field storing information indicating a subtype of the control field, and when the type field indicates the frame is the management frame, the field storing information indicating a subtype of the control field, a non-zero value in the protocol version field indicating that the medium access control header is a compressed medium access control header; and means for transmitting the packet.

37. The apparatus of claim 36 , the frame control field further storing information indicating whether the packet is transmitted from a distribution system.

38. The apparatus of claim 37 , wherein the information indicating whether the packet is transmitted from the distribution system is included in a from-distribution system sub-field.

39. The apparatus of claim 36 , the frame control field further storing information indicating a power management state.

40. The apparatus of claim 36 , the frame control field further storing information indicating whether an additional frame is to be transmitted.

41. The apparatus of claim 36 , the frame control field further storing information indicating whether frame protection is present.

42. The apparatus of claim 36 , the frame control field further storing information indicating if a destination address is present in the packet.

43. The apparatus of claim 36 , the frame control field further storing information indicating an identification of a network service set.

44. The apparatus of claim 43 , wherein the information indicating an identification of a network service set is included in a short service set identifier sub-field.

45. The apparatus of claim 43 , wherein the identification of the network service set includes a hash of a short service set identifier.

46. The apparatus of claim 36 , the frame control field further storing information indicating an end of a service period.

47. The apparatus of claim 36 , the frame control field further storing retransmission information indicating whether the frame is being retransmitted.

48. The apparatus of claim 36 , the frame control field further storing information indicating one of whether additional sub-frames are to be transmitted and whether a reverse direction is granted.

49. The apparatus of claim 48 , wherein the information indicating one of whether additional sub-frames are to be transmitted and whether a reverse direction is granted is included in a sub-field.

50. The apparatus of claim 36 , the frame control field further storing information indicating an aggregated service data unit.

51. The apparatus of claim 50 , wherein the information indicating an aggregated service data unit is included in an aggregated medium access control level service data unit sub-field.

52. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method of communicating in a wireless network, the method comprising: generating a packet including a frame comprising a medium access control header including a frame control field for use in each of a control frame, a management frame, and a data frame, the frame control field having: a type field storing information indicating the frame is the data frame, the management frame, or the control frame, a protocol version field storing information indicating a protocol version of the frame, and a field having a length of three (3) bits and: when the type field indicates the frame is the data frame, the field storing information indicating three (3) least significant bits (LSBs) of a traffic identifier (TID), and when the type field indicates the frame is the control frame, the field storing information indicating a subtype of the control frame, and when the type field is the management frame, the field storing information a subtype of the management frame, a non-zero value in the protocol version field indicating that the medium access control header is a compressed medium access control header; and transmitting the packet.

53. The computer-readable medium of claim 52 , the frame control field further storing information indicating whether the packet is transmitted from a distribution system.

54. The computer-readable medium of claim 53 , wherein the information indicating whether the packet is transmitted from the distribution system is included in a from-distribution system sub-field.

55. The computer-readable medium of claim 52 , the frame control field further storing information indicating a power management state.

56. The computer-readable medium of claim 52 , the frame control field further storing information indicating whether an additional frame is to be transmitted.

57. The computer-readable medium of claim 52 , the frame control field further storing information indicating whether frame protection is present.

58. The computer-readable medium of claim 52 , the frame control field further storing information indicating if a destination address is present in the packet.

59. The computer-readable medium of claim 52 , the frame control field further storing information indicating an end of a service period.

60. The computer-readable medium of claim 52 , the frame control field further storing retransmission information indicating whether the frame is being retransmitted.

61. The computer-readable medium of claim 52 , the frame control field further storing information indicating one of whether additional sub-frames are to be transmitted and whether a reverse direction is granted.

62. The computer-readable medium of claim 61 , wherein the information indicating one of whether additional sub-frames are to be transmitted and whether a reverse direction is granted is included in a sub-field.

63. The computer-readable medium of claim 52 , the frame control field further storing information indicating an aggregated service data unit.

64. The computer-readable medium of claim 63 , wherein the information indicating an aggregated service data unit is included in an aggregated medium access control level service data unit sub-field.